Disclaimer: Ok, so this is part 2 of Arya's struggle with Tasha. A few surprises are in store for you guys. I own nothing except the original characters that are my creation.

"I am just doing what is necessary to survive, Arya," Tasha retorted smugly. "You know…self preservation. Something you elves don't seem to understand and that will be your downfall."

Arya stood and faced Tasha with squared shoulders. She held her sword's hilt close to her side with the blade's tip pointing at Tasha and her feet shoulder width apart. "Just get whatever death that is coming to me over with," she growled.

"Are you surrendering then?" taunted Tasha. Amestat, feed on her dragon's flesh.

With pleasure.

Arya!

Arya blocked Eragon's thoughts out of her mind. She focused primarily on her objective of killing Tasha and ridding the world of just one more threat.

It all happened too quickly. Amestat launched himself passed Arya before the elf could do anything to defend her dragon. The movement of the massive creature made her hair fly in the wind. She watched as everything went in slow motion. Then something happened that she did not expect.

Niamh charged into the small piece of battle ground and stabbed her sword through Amestat's mouth, her upper lip curled up in an unpleasant snarl.

Two horrible screeches filled the air. Arya could not tell which was Tasha's and which was Amestat's. She reached out to Niamh's mind and sent the dragon slayer waves of gratitude.

Her focus went back to Tasha as the enemy Rider launched herself at Niamh. Arya defended her defender. Her movements were starting to slow down as Tasha let loose a fierce assault of slashes and stabs.

It wasn't long before Arya suffered many severe gashes and blood dripped to the mud. The elf struggled to stand and block what attacks she could against Tasha. Damn…if I don't do something soon, I'm going to die for sure, she thought.

Galzra struggled to his own feet. We need to retreat into the mountains, he told Arya.

We will not fail our job, growled Arya.

Even if it means that we die? Galzra questioned.

This is a war, Galzra…if we must both die here, then so be it, snarled Arya. Her sword flew from her grip and landed behind Tasha.

Amestat was pawing at Niamh to get away from the blade sticking up his snout. He snarled as he struggled with the experienced dragon assassin.

Arya fell to her knees in submission, knowing that there was little more that she could do. She quickly ran through the possibilities of what could happen. She was too weak to use magic. Her sword was where it would take a miracle to retrieve. Galzra was too weak to do much good. Niamh was struggling with Amestat. Tasha had the upper hand. The other Shur'tugal were too busy with their battles.

"Dead," sneered Tasha smugly. She pulled her sword back, preparing to give the final strike.

The hesitation gave Galzra enough time to save his Rider. He gave one last heaving effort to launch himself passed Amestat and Niamh and dug his fangs into Tasha. He tore her flesh away from her bone, killing her almost instantly.

Niamh removed her blade from Amestat's mouth as soon as the purple dragon's Rider was dead, allowing for the monster to collapse in death.

Arya barely registered the events as they passed. She had lost too much blood. In her exhaustion, she collapsed in her own pool of blood and Galzra next to her.

Niamh dropped her sword, unable to fully comprehend what she had just seen. She had lived her life thinking that dragons were just beasts incapable of feeling compassion. Yet Galzra had just committed one of the most compassionate acts possible by putting himself at risk to protect his Rider.

The young girl snapped herself out of it and ran to Arya's side. She checked the elf's pulse and found that Arya still lived. Her eyes darted to Galzra and found the dragon breathing heavily.

"ARYA!" Islanzadi ran to her daughter's side. She glanced up at Niamh. "Go back to the battle!" she ordered in a bark-like voice.

Niamh nodded curtly. She went to pick up her sword before running back onto the battle field.

Islanzadi heaved her only daughter onto her back. I will send someone for you, Galzra, she promised.

Just make sure that Arya lives, panted Galzra. She lost a lot of blood.

Islanzadi sprinted back to the encampment and dashed into the medical tent. She set Arya down on one of the cots.

There were already many severely injured soldiers in there. Islanzadi inspected Arya's wounds. Galzra was right in saying that Arya had lost a lot of blood. It amazed Islanzadi that anyone, even an elf could survive that much. She immediately went to work on healing her daughter.

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As Arya collapsed, she felt the calmness that could only come with death. She felt pure nothingness. She lived in a world where there was no war, no duties, and best of all; her daughter could be raised in peace instead of the same chaos she had lived all her life through.

The brightness dulled away after several moments and revealed two very different figures…one of a humanoid shape and the other a dragon. Her vision cleared away enough to see that it was Tasha and Amestat. Then reality came crashing down on her. She was supposed to kill them.

"We are already dead," informed Tasha.

Arya's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How?" she asked with forced curiosity.

"Galzra killed me…and by doing so killed Amestat," answered Tasha. She sighed heavily. "Take care of Eragon. I am happy for both of you."

"Now I know that you are not real," accused Arya.

"Galbatorix and Trianna put a binding spell on me to hold onto my jealousy so that I would be more willing to kill you," explained Tasha. "I am sorry for everything that I have put you through over the last twenty years, Arya-ebrithil." A saddened expression crossed her face.

Arya's eyes widened with shock. She had expected many things, but never had she expected for Tasha to apologize for all the trouble she had caused. "I am too," replied Arya softly. "And I know that it was not your fault. Galbatorix and Trianna will pay for how they twisted you. I do not blame you for running away from it all." She glanced around. "Am I dead too?"

You are unconscious, informed Amestat. You lost a lot of blood in your battle with my Rider.

Arya nodded slowly. "Makes sense…Eragon told me that something similar to this happened to him after the first time that Galbatorix was killed."

"Cherish your life, Arya," advised Tasha. "And protect your kin."

"I will," promised Arya.

Arya's vision began fading into nothingness again. She felt a dull stabbing pain throughout her entire body and she knew then that she was still very much alive.

She groaned in pain and furrowed her eyebrows.

Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. There is an estimated six more chapters of the battle…give or take one or two. I want to know which order you readers think that I should do it in. All battle scenes will be written out in the next week, but I will spread out the time for chapters to give an opportunity to keep up with my posts.